USSF Outreach Working Group Call -- November 11, 2009
Call in number: (218) 936-4700 Code: 924760#
Proposed Agenda: Check-in Report back from NPC meeting Consulta next steps
* timeline * outreach plan
Design
* poster image * logo
Conversation with Sha on grassroots fundraising toolkit and phone bank tactic USSF field staff positions
* timeline * review interview questions
Next call
Roll call: B. Loewe brigid flaherty Cindy Wiesner Ahmina Maxey Lee Suster Steph Guilloud Sha Grogan-Brown
Report Back from NPC next npc mtg jan 8 - 10
Either Albuquerque or New Orleans as location When we meet outside of host cities, opportunity to do outreach there. On our next outreach working group call, we should have a representative from the Host city to help identify outreach needs: who we should have at NPC meetings
Consulta next steps
* timeline *Consulta process will close December 14th and so workshop submissions won't be able to begin until the end of December * need to identify a group to evaluate results and answer questions about how to present to npc and two week check-in
Outreach Priorities for Consulta
notes from our NPC meeting--------------------------------
Priorities and who is not at the table in Detroit: 1) community members (not organized) – Detroiters (poor Black) 2) Arab 3) Indigenous communities 4) Asian community
Midwest (already existing structures in the region that we should tap into): 1) think through working class white people on the regional level – often ignored on the national arena 2) farming and agricultural, looking at food sovereigty 3) rural communities 4) Latino immigrant communities (huge hub in the Midwest) 5) Muslim community (Black, South Asian, European and Arab Muslims) 6) Especially in the smaller towns outside the city = faith communities 7) Growing population of African immigrants 8) Midwest has a very strong union infrastructure, historical rank and file leadership 9) Midwest Social Forum 10)Youth of color 11)Midwest is full of universities where students will be drawn 12)Given history of the region with deindustrialization, there is a lot of organizations representing poor people – specific poor people’s organization 13)Huge holes in the Midwest – North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Indiana
National: 1) LGBTQI 2) Criminalized groups/prison/detention organizing
Midwest: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan
(South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas = Great Plains states are going to be important because they are the next region over. And some would claim Western Pennsylvania and Western New York State).
Steps for Outreach and Identifying Gaps 1. identified underrepresented regions from 2007 with MW priority 2. establishing MW list with Sarita/Fran 3. identified sectors to target at NPC meeting (listed above) 4. identifying sector participation in 2007 5. list of large delegations from 2007 6. requesting outreach committee create list of contacts in these states/sectors. Send to B.
steph: promoting at Drug Policy Alliance Conference
SONG, Queers for Economic Justice
brigid: sending pushback list for consulta
7. phone calls/direct connects to orgs in underrepresented regions/sectors 8. evaluate at 2 week mark to see who's turned in, who hasn't. 9. cindy follow-up with NPC to set goals for alliance/network outreach
Detroit/MI State-wide 1. potluck at American Indian Health Services 2. Connected to ACCESS (Arab Community Center in Dearborn) 3. Going to Flint, Lansing, Ann Arbor 4. Sending to DLOC listserv
Initial Goal: DLOC: 150 local on paper, 500 organizations nationally We are also going to move the consulta through the NPC. Asking each group to set a goal.
Design: Approved Round 6 poster: remove period after another world is possible Approved Top Right Logo with Color-Match Tree to Poster Orange
What is the timeline to get it printed?
Producing Language for Postcard
Ahmina, B, Lee to finalize postcard. Will attempt to get language approved on next NPC call
Materials: 1. Poster (done) 2. Postcard (pending final text) 3. How to Get involved (organizing process) 4. How Does it Work (logistics/faq) 5. PMA Toolkit (PMA working group finishing) 6. Grassroots Fundraising Toolkit (resource wg creating)
Grassroots Fundraising next three weeks, compile toolkit materials
include estimated cost per person by region to help people plan how to fundraise FOR the forum: tagline, one-page why support?, General materials: support skills in general: how to do a pitch, tactics, etc.
Meeting Friday 2pm eastern to discuss who will work on those materials Goal: create interactive wiki to map fundraising efforts
Phonebank: lots of questions, need representation from Outreach to figure out how to do that best. (most likely happen Jan/Feb)
USSF Field Positions Update: Steph is drafting a thank you email and encouraging applicants to stay connected in the process.
The interviewers are Steph from PMA, Tammy from Outreach,and Will Copeland. They are conducting phone interviews next week. In total, 48 applicants applied for outreach field position. Now, there are 4 remaining applicants: b. loewe, doyan, celeste, and tegah. The goal is to hire two, 1 part-time starting on December 1st and the other hired in January. Given the financial scenario for social forum, we may only be able to hire one.
Cindy pasted initial cut of interview questions for outreach committee to refine/expand (see discussion and questions below):
Discussion around Candidates:
Attributes desired of an organizer:
* Mobile and can travel
* National experience, has existing relationships, who are they in relationships to?
* Clear organizing experience
* Have experience organizing on a larger scale
* Someone who can work on their own - self motivated, mangage time
* Reflect Detroit and Mid-west, preference for people of color, language skills, organizing experience (reflected in the whole USSF staff)
* Experience working in communities of color
Other considers:
* Ensuring that we have Arab and Muslim participation.
Questions:
* What are their connections nationally, who they know, etc?
* What is their understanding of national movement building? Can they translate their local organizing experience to a national arena?
* For folks who have had multiple jobs in the last 5 years, why? And how have they left each organization, in terms of relationships? What was their job perfermance like?
* What is their familiarity w/ USSF (did they go in 2007, what was their experience w/ it). Second, if they were to start next week - what would be their initial plan? How would they approach the task @ hand?
The next outreach call is scheduled for December 9th at 1pm pst//2pm mst//3pm cst//4pm est.
To-Do: [ ] Recommend how to do outreach when NPC meets in non-host cities [ ] Initial Report from Consulta for us to do Two-week evaluation (mallory, B, program) [ ] Finalize postcard language (b, Ahmina, lee) [ ] Send postcard language to NPC prior to call (ahmina) [ ] Determine additional materials (steph to send 2007 materials, B & ahmina review) [ ] Brigid attend next grassroots fundraising call, all send existing materials to sha [ ] Ahmina send Sha Logistic Committee contact Dianne Feeley's info
sgroganbrown@onpointconsortium.org
[ ] All send contacts in target regions/sectors to B to consolidate list